If you spay or neuter your pets, you can help control the animal population and subsequently, lessen the number of abandoned, stray animals.
When you have your dogs or cats spayed, they will not reproduce. Thousands of pups and kittens –90 percent of whom will end up on the streets or in pounds– will not be born. You will save thousands of lives when you have dogs or cats spayed or neutered.
In Baguio, city veterinarian Dr. Bridget Piok noted that dog population has been increasing yearly. A survey conducted by the City Veterinarian Office (CVO) for the year 2017 recorded more or less 60,000 dogs compared to 50,000 in 2016.
The Baguio City Pound, meanwhile, recorded a total of 2,005 impounded dogs in 2017. Most dogs were claimed by the owners and 106 dogs were brought home through adoption. But there are still dogs in the pound waiting to be adopted.
Dr. Piok said the CVO launched their free spay and neuter program in the last quarter of 2017 to address the increasing dog population. This program will be included in their annual plan and budget for the succeeding years.
But the free spay and neuter program can accommodate only 80 dogs and cats every quarter due to budget constraints.
This means only a maximum of 320 dogs/ cats can be spayed or neutered within the year. This number is not enough given the 60,000 recorded dogs in the city in 2017.
To spay and neuter more dogs and cats, the CVO decided to team up with animal welfare groups Save ALL Inc. – Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL) and Cordillera Animal Protection Advocates Inc. (CAPA) to conduct more free spay and neuter in the city.
In this first joint effort, 120 dogs and cats were targeted as beneficiaries.
Dr. Piok stressed: “We believe that education on responsible pet ownership among pet parents is the best solution to totally minimize and eventually achieve a zero impounded dog at the dog pound.” And working with animal welfare groups helps, she said.
Michael Padiclas, CAPA vice president, said his group has been concerned with the increasing number of stray dogs and cats. They have been rescuing injured and sick dogs and cats, having them treated and looking for adopters and fosters for them.
Thus, CAPA worked on a tripartite memorandum of agreement with the CVO and Save ALL.
Save ALL, on the other hand, has held 11 free spay and neuter programs which benefitted more than 200 dogs and cats. It has also rescued around 415 dogs and cats in the past four years.
Save ALL has always stressed that spaying and neutering and responsible pet ownership are the best solutions to prevent the increase in animal abuse cases in the country.
The organizers are grateful to Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domoganfor supporting the project.
During the two-day free spay and neuter program in Baguio City on Aug. 15 and 16, eight veterinarians from the Baguio City vet office, the Benguet vet office, and the Department of Agriculture (DA) performed the procedure.
The doctors who volunteered are Dr. Anabelle Apse (from the capitol), Dr. Peter Canggat Jr. (capitol), Dr. Wilson Malingan (city vet), Dr. Cecile Capuyan (DA Livestock division), Dr. Gladys Bantog (city vet), Dr. Mark Anthony Padao (LGU La Trinidad), Dr. Jordan Bayudang (BAI), and Dr. Mary Jane Laus (city vet)
The Baguio CVO provided the venue and prepared the needed medical equipment and surgical tools for the entire duration of the project. It also ensured that all the necessary steps before, during and after the surgical procedures were complied with.
CAPA coordinated with agencies such as the DA for the needed medical equipment/tools and veterinarians, the Benguet Provincial Veterinary Office for volunteer veterinarians and the Benguet State University- Department of Veterinary Medicine for volunteer vets and clinical assistance
It also conducted the pre-screening and pre-registration of pets “to remind the owners of the preoperative preparations and post-surgery care and informed the owners of their scheduled date and time,“ Padiclas said.
Save ALL provided medicine for the procedure.
Save ALL is grateful for the assistance of Doc Antony Prado Basa of Sha Sha/West Avenue Veterinary Clinic, Quezon City to and for the medicine and medical supplies from Jael Bermejo Elegarle, Goldie Ngo Mayanne Naguit Dee, and another member of Save ALL.
The organizers are also grateful to Topbreed, Juris Fortun, Racje Construction, and Tiongsan Harison for helping with medical supplies and food for the volunteers.
To help Save ALL conduct more free spay and neuter programs, please contact Save ALL admins Cynthia Barcial Santos and Day Carlos if you can donate medicine and medical supplies.